I made a Spanish omelette

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Texarchivist

This was the last thing I made before I became vegan in February 2007.

Our September of potatoes has now turned into a whole season of potato dishes at Casa Stella, and we also go through about 16 eggs a week from Alexander Family Farm. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought to make a tortilla española! Of course, I started it off the right way: with bacon fat.

Making this was a joy. What’s not to love about fried potatoes, onions, and eggs?!

Of course, I overcooked it a little, but it was delicious!

Eric enjoyed his serving topped with homemade pico de gallo.

I’m not even going to post a recipe, because there are “about 483,000” already on the web. However, you should definitely make one. It’s cheap and simple and great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. It’s tasty with ketchup or salsa or on its own. It’s a main and a side. It’s fun to make and makes great leftovers.

Now that I’m thinking about how good this was, I think I’ll make another one this weekend!

Eric’s Amazing Breakfast Tostadas

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Texarchivist

This one is a real winner. We’ve already eaten it for three breakfasts in three days.

4 corn tortillas (preferably El Milagro)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil
4 tsp Hal’s Hot Love jalapeño salsa
4 leaves of arugula, chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 tsp crumbled parmesan
1/2 small onion, finely diced
4 eggs
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat the butter and oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Fry the tortillas until crispy and golden (about one minute on each side), and set aside on paper towels to absorb the grease.

2. Sauté the onions in the pan until fragrant and cooked through. Remove to drain alongside tortillas. Lower heat to medium and crack eggs into the pan. Allow to cook through to taste (I prefer them over-medium, especially for this dish).

3. Meanwhile, assemble tostadas as follows: smooth a teaspoon of salsa onto each; top with 1/2 tsp of crumbled parmesan and a quarter each of the onions, oregano, and arugula. When eggs are done, remove each one separately from the pan with a spatula and sit on top of the tostada. Top with black pepper to taste; serve immediately.

Serves 2-4, as a main or side dish.

When he’s not serving up amazing al fresco breakfasts, Eric works for a local education non-profit, digs around in his urban garden, and writes about politics, history, and other things that strike his fancy for Deemable.

Eric’s Amazing Breakfast Tostada with Eric’s amazing papaya smoothie.

Dijon Cheesy Grits

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Texarchivist

Here is a great twist on my Horseradish Cheese Grits recipe, invented due to a lack of milk and horseradish. I had a craving for grits, and came up with this. It was delicious!

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup stone-ground yellow grits
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 heaping tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
more salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water, salt, and pepper to a boil. Add grits and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring regularly as the mixture thickens (about 25 to 30 minutes). Add more water if needed.

2. Add butter and cheese and stir until melted into grits. Add mustard and stir lightly until mixed in. Finally, pour in cream, stirring constantly until evenly absorbed. Serve immediately with additional salt and pepper as desired.

Shown here with chicken prepared according to my Easy Shrimp and Grits recipe.

Bacon and Green Chile Frittata

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Texarchivist

Here’s my Tex-Mex interpretation of the classic frittata. At my house, we like to garnish it with extra grated cheese and a little Cholula sauce!

6 eggs
1/4 cup finely diced green chiles (poblanos or, for a spicier result, jalapeños)
6 strips of crispy, cooked bacon
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
additional 1 Tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a baking dish with 1 Tbsp butter and set aside.

2. Whisk eggs and milk in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir lightly. Pour into baking dish.

3. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the dish comes out clean. The top of your frittata should be only slight browned.

4. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve in slices.

Serves 4. Delicious reheated or served cold.

Avocado Banana Smoothie

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Texarchivist

Ooh, look at this one!

This quick and easy smoothie recipe will start your day off luxuriously. Smooth and mild, an avocado and banana smoothy is also pretty filling, and a great way to use up any extra avocados that didn’t quite make it into your guacamole.

You can thank me later.

1 cup apple juice (home juiced or bought)
1-2 bananas
1 avocado
1 heaping tsp ground flaxseeds
2 ice cubes

1. Pour juice, bananas, avocado meat, and flaxseeds into blender. Liquefy.

2. Add more juice if the mixture is too thick. Add ice cubes and blend on “ice crush” for a few seconds to achieve a lovely, shake-like, ice cold consistency.

3. Enjoy! It may look and sound a little weird, but, trust me, it’s delicious!